Chapter 166 Victory Belongs to Portland

Trail Blazers bench.

The emotion on Nate McMillan's face was full of nervousness. He pulled all the players and stared at them and said.

"Hey guys look at me."

"We're up two points now, and there's 22 seconds left in the game. You know, if we hold on to our advantage, we can win this game."

"Our strategy at this time is to defend the Lakers' outside three-pointers. I know that they have a great inside advantage. Pau Gasol and Bynum put a lot of pressure on our inside, but we have no choice. Mainly defend three-pointers, and then guard Pau Gasol and Bynum inside.”

"First of all, make sure not to lose this game. If it does go into overtime, we won't be afraid of them. We can be young and we have more time to rest."

"Kobe's playing time in this game has exceeded 38 minutes, and Pau Gasol and Bynum have also played more than 36 minutes."

"We had more chances to win in overtime."

Nate McMillan's tactical arrangement has been recognized by all players. For the Trail Blazers, they cannot afford to lose this game tonight, so they must first ensure not to lose before thinking about other things.

Zhang Jun suddenly said: "Kobe can hit this ball."

All the players looked at him in shock. It's natural that Kobe is the top player of the Lakers. He is even the top superstar in the league and at least among the top three. He is also a famous singles player in the league.

But against the Trail Blazers, Pau Gasol and Bynum had greater advantages, so they were surprised that Zhang Jun would say this.

"I swear, Kobe will hit the last ball."

Zhang Jun emphasized again.

Nate McMillan was a little hesitant. He knew Zhang Jun's intention to double-team Kobe at the last moment, but the price was that there would be missing players on the court, and the Lakers would have open scoring opportunities.

Regardless of whether this opportunity occurs on the outside or inside, the Trail Blazers cannot afford to lose.

The other players remained silent, and Luo Yin stood up at the right time and said: "I believe Zhang Jun, his judgment must be correct."

Aldridge also stood up and said: "Kobe is a paranoid, and I also believe that he will definitely hit the last ball."

Monty Williams shook his head repeatedly and said: "This is the playoffs, not the regular season. You can't use the character of your teammates and players to guess the opponent's playing style. It is too risky to do so."

"If Kobe hadn't executed the final attack, the consequences for us would have been unimaginable and irreparable. I won't allow you to do so much."

Nate McMillan also nodded at this time and said: "Zhang Jun, if you can't give me a perfect reason, we can't double-team Kobe at this time."

Zhang Jun breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to say that he had no perfect reason, but in this life, Kobe had not won two consecutive championships, and people had not seen Kobe's miraculous performance of three consecutive kills in a month.

But Zhang Jun is very sure that the last goal must be played by Kobe. He will not let go of this opportunity to go down in history, nor will he give up any goal that can be remembered in history, even if the team will lose because of it. game, because he is Kobe.

"I have no reason."

Nate McMillan shook his head helplessly.

Zhang Jun said again: "Even if I can't double-team Kobe, let me defend him in the last round, coach."

Looking at Zhang Jun's sincere eyes, Nate McMillan hesitated for a moment and then nodded and said: "Okay, I'll let you defend Kobe alone."

The referee's whistle blows, the timeout ends, and the game continues.

The Lakers Odom served the sideline ball, Kobe stood at the free throw line, Bynum and Gasol stood behind Kobe, and the old fish Fisher stood on the right side of Kobe.

Live commentary desk.

Kenny Smith frowned and said, "What position is this? This position is too funny. What sideline tactics are the Lakers planning to use?"

"With Phil Jackson's ability, he shouldn't have arranged such a weird position."

Barkley also saw that he was unable to do anything. The tactic of serving sideline balls at critical moments should have the big man inside ready to attack the frame at any time, and the outside players would go around the screen to catch the ball. This way, the two offensive points and opportunities, one inside and one outside, would make it easier to defend the ball. The team was confused, focusing on one thing and the other, and holes appeared in the defense, giving the opponent a chance to attack.

But the position the Lakers are taking now is simply unheard of, and it doesn't even look like a tactic at all.

The Trail Blazers players on the field were also confused. They had never defended this tactic before, and the defensive strategy they wanted in their brains at the beginning was completely useless. Even the defensive position Nate McMillan had just arranged was completely useless. sorry.

Zhang Jun raised his eyebrows, also feeling strange about this position. No matter in the NBA, he had never seen this kind of sideline ball tactic, even in his previous life...

"etc!"

"I remembered!"

"This is a starburst tactic!"

Recalling the memory, Zhang Jun quickly shouted to his teammates, "This is a starburst tactic, Brandon! Ade! This is a starburst tactic!"

As soon as Zhang Jun finished speaking, the referee blew the whistle, and Odom held the ball high and prepared to pass the ball.

Kobe suddenly ran towards the basket among his teammates. Gasol and Bynum suddenly opened up the middle position, blocking and separating the Trail Blazers' defense. Kobe was completely unguarded.

"This tactic is done!"

Phil Jackson, the Zen master off the court, was chewing gum calmly, with his hands on his chin. All the league's tactics were unbreakable, except for the weird ones.

The more novel the tactics are, the more critical they are, they can often make the opponent panic and unable to do anything. This is the reason why soldiers never tire of deceit and surprise.

"What!"

The scene that happened on the court made the always elegant Zen master unable to sit still and stood up from his seat.

On the court.

Zhang Jun actually went around the defense and completely lost his position, as if he had already predicted it, he rushed directly towards Kobe behind him.

Be on guard!

"This boy!"

Odom was already preparing to pass the ball. This was still an alley-oop dunk to score two points, but Zhang Jun suddenly appeared in front of Kobe, making him completely afraid to pass the ball.

Zhang Jun has height and wingspan, but there is a high probability that the alley-oop pass to Kobe will be destroyed.

He could only hold up the ball and shout to signal his teammates.

"Come out and catch the ball!"

On one side is the referee's countdown, and on the other side is the tactical pressure. You can imagine Odom's anxious mood at this moment. Fortunately, his passing ability and awareness are not bad, otherwise he would not be dubbed a left-handed magician by the fans. title.

If he had really passed the ball just now, the Lakers would be completely stunned.

Kobe gritted his teeth and looked at Zhang Jun in front of him, who was exhaling heavily. It was obvious that Zhang Jun had rushed to him so quickly, and Zhang Jun had also exploded the last of his physical strength.

Kobe gave Zhang Jun a hard push, and then quickly lifted him up the line around the wall set up by his teammates.

Even if this tactic fails, Kobe has an absolute reason to take the last shot.

Even though he was pushed by Kobe, Zhang Jun still accelerated and lifted up. During this period, Gasol bumped into him, and Bynum also bumped into him, which was to slow down his speed with Kobe.

At this time, the referee will not call a foul like this under any circumstances.

The NBA has always had an unwritten rule that the final game is left to the players.

Kobe stepped outside the three-point line, and Odom was finally able to deliver the ball.

Kobe glanced at the distance between Zhang Jun and him.

This kid! After being pushed and bumped twice, he still managed to catch up, only one meter away from him.

Kobe did not dare to throw the ball on the spot, but quickly moved to the top of the arc with the ball. Zhang Jun was originally ready to take off to block the shot. At this time, he could only quickly change direction and continue to chase Kobe.

"Time is running out, Kobe has to shoot quickly!"

Barkley and Kenny Smith in the commentary box are already tugging at their hearts.

At this moment, Kobe drifted to the left from the top of the arc and took off. Zhang Jun also took off at the same time.

"Kobe takes action!"

"Fallback three-pointer!"

"This ball is really difficult!"

"Zhang Jun rushed over. His hand was on Kobe's wrist. Although he certainly couldn't cover the ball, his big hands almost completely blocked Kobe's shooting vision."

"That's a good defense!"

Uh-huh!

The game whistle sounded at the same time.

Zhang Jun turned around in disbelief.

As soon as the ball hit the net, the tense Los Angeles fans immediately gave out extremely warm applause and there was an uproar.

Lakers players frantically rushed toward Kobe on the court, and the players on the bench were no exception.

Kobe raised his right fist and rushed toward the technical stage. He gritted his teeth and exposed his fangs.

"This is my territory!"

Zhang Jun stood there and finally calmed down.

My territory.

This is not only a declaration of victory for winning this game, but also tells Zhang Jun that Los Angeles will always belong to him, Kobe Bryant, not Zhang Jun. He is the son of Los Angeles, and he is the most arrogant king in Los Angeles.

Luo Yin came over and patted Zhang Jun on the head.

"Brother, you have taken good defense."

Aldridge hugged Zhang Jun and Luo Yin and did not speak. He used his accustomed defense to encourage his two friends.

But in fact, he felt extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

Nate McMillan sat down on the bench and said very regretfully: "We should have double-teamed Kobe, Monty, we should have double-teamed Kobe."

Monty Williams also couldn't believe that Kobe could make such an exaggerated shot, but he agreed.

"Zhang Jun is right, we should double-team Kobe."

Post-game interview.

When all the reporters asked about the buzzer-beater, Zhang Jun served as the backdrop.

"That will go down as one of the greatest buzzers in the playoffs. Kobe made a stunning shot that saved the Lakers and pushed the Trail Blazers into the abyss."

"Zhang Jun, you are a participant in this."

Zhang Jun said in a bad mood: "Rather than serving as the backdrop for Kobe's game-winner, what makes me more frustrated is that the team fell behind 0:2."

"We're on the verge of the playoffs now, but that doesn't mean the Trail Blazers' playoff run is over."

"I know that all of you are optimistic about the Lakers. Everyone thinks that they should reach the finals or even win the championship."

"But the Trail Blazers never admit defeat, never accept fate."

"Having the courage to show your sword in the face of the strong is our style and the blood that is engraved in our bones."

"See you in Portland!"

This is what Zhang Jun said the most in the post-game interview during the playoffs this season, and then he walked to the locker room.

The referees on the scene looked at each other in confusion. In their opinion, Zhang Jun certainly had the strength to say this.

Tonight, Zhang Jun made 14 of 24 shots, 4 of 5 free throws, and scored 32 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. He once again proved that he is the league's scoring leader. No one will question Zhang Jun's scoring ability. Because he has proven himself in the playoffs.

And once again he has the upper hand against Kobe in terms of statistics.

Kobe, who made the buzzer-beating shot, made 11 of 25 shots, 6 of 7 free throws, and scored 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The data gap between the two is not very big, but what really helped the Lakers win the game was Gasol's 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Bynum's 16 points and 14 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers lost 8 rebounds tonight, 2 of which were offensive rebounds.

Fortunately, the outside shooters performed well, otherwise tonight would be another massacre.

After the game, Barkley analyzed and said to fans around the world.

"The Trail Blazers played very well tonight. They pushed the stronger Lakers into a desperate situation."

"But this alone is not enough. If the Trail Blazers want to win, they must play more completely and perform far beyond their own capabilities."

"Only in this way can they possibly beat the Lakers."

"The next game will be moved to the home court of the Portland Trail Blazers. I can foresee that it will be a more intense fight and the Trail Blazers will continue to rebound."

"Lakers beware."

The game has reached this point. Although the Lakers still lead 2:0 without any surprise, the intensity of the game has far exceeded Kenny Smith's imagination.

He couldn't even believe that the Trail Blazers could play so closely with the Lakers. They were completely different teams from the first game of the series.

He even wondered if it was possible for the Trail Blazers to win the game at home.

"Although I still think the Trail Blazers have a 0 chance of beating the Lakers in a series, they really showed a very tenacious fighting spirit."

"I'm starting to look forward to the Portland game."

...........

Portland.

The Blazers were greeted by cheers from local fans as they got off the plane.

This is probably the first time since the NBA playoffs that a team can receive such a cheerful reception and welcome from fans when they are behind 0:2.

"We'll let the Lakers know how good we are!"

"Let him see the terrifying torn city."

"This will be the most memorable road game for the Lakers in their lifetime."

"This will be their devilish away game!"

The fans' support for the home team is more direct. Although the effect is not too obvious, it is inspiring.

Zhang Jun looked at the hands stretched out by the fans on both sides of the aisle. He breathed a long sigh of relief and completely lost the defeat of the game. He opened his hands and hit the hands of these fans hard and shouted.

"Let's defeat this Los Angeles Lakers team at home!"

"Victory belongs to Portland!"